Piano-action



(No Model.)

0. E. ROGERS.

PIANO ACTION.

No. 326,335. Patented Sept. 15, 1885.

Iiwenlor: Charles E.

Wiinesses:

Rogers, W

the damper H, and projecting below said UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES E. ROGERS, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

PIANO-ACTION.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 326,335, dated September 15, 1885.

Application filed May To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, OI-IARLEs E. Boenns, of Boston, in the count-y of Suffolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Piano-Actions, of which the following, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification.

My invention relates to piano actions, and especially to actions for upright pianos; and it consists in certain novel constructions, arrangements, and combinations of parts,which will be readily understood by reference to description of the drawings, and to the claims to be hereinafter given.

Figure l of the drawings represents a transverse section through the action-rails of an upright piano,and showing one key and the action connected therewith in elevation. Fig. 2-is a vertical section through the fly and its lever on line :0 a; on Fig. 1, and showing the upper portion of the fly in elevation. Fig. 3 is a plan of the fly-carrying lever and damper fulcrum-block. Figs. 4 and 5 are rear and side elevations, respectively, of the action-carrying flange, and Fig. 6 is a plan of the flange rail.

A is the key fulcrumed at a, and having secured to the upper side of its inner end the rocker-lever B, to the rear end of which is pivoted the lower end of the jack 0, the upper end of which supports and acts upon the front end of the fly-carrying lever D, to which it is connected by thepin b,which passes through the projecting portion of the felt-pad 0, se' cured to the under side of said fly-carrier D, and against which the upper end of the jack 0 bears, as shown in Fig. 1.

The rear end of the flycarrying lever D is pivoted at d to the flange E, which in turn is secured by its middle to the rear bar, 0, of the flange-rail F, and projects upward therefrom, and has pivoted thereto at f the hammer-butt G, as shown.

The lever D also has pivoted to its rear end at g the block H, in which is firmly secured the damper-rod H, carrying at its upper end block H into a position to be acted upon by the pedal-operated cam-rail I, for the purpose of removing the dampers from the strings, as indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 1.

5, 1884. (No model.)

with its lower end extending below said lever D and into contact with the felted button is, adj ustabl y secured to the jack 0 by the screw it, said fly-lever being maintained in the desired oblique position with its upper end in engagement with the shoulder h by means of the spring Z, connected at one end to the block H, and at the other end to said fly-lever above its fulcrum, as shown in Fig. 1. The lever D is also connected to the block H by means of the spring at, for the purpose of maintaining contact of the front end of said lever with the upper end of thejack O.

The hammer-butt G is provided at its upper end with the forward projection G, having its upper front corner rounded, as shown, and having secured to its under side the felt or leather pad 02, which projects beyond the hammer-butt, and has inserted therein one end of the spring 0, the other end of which is inserted in the front side of the fly -lever J, as shown.

To the upper portion of the front side of the fly-levcr J is secured apiece of felt or leather, 0', to prevent contact of the spring 0 with the wood of said lever.

L is a hammer check mount-ed upon the stem L,set in the forward end of the lever D, said check being arranged to catch the hammer-butt when the hammer rebounds after having struck the blow upon the string by pressing upon the rounded upper surface of the projection G of said butt.

M is thehanimer-rcst rail provided with the felt-cushion p to receive the hammer-handle after the finger is removed from the key in a well-known manner.

It will be observed that the flanges are at tached by their middle to the flange-rail F and project aboveand below said rail and carry at one end the hammer-butt and at the other end the fly-carrying lever and the damper fulcrum-block.

The flange-rail F consists of a front bar, 0-, and the rear bar, 6, arranged parallel to each other and extending from side to side of the ICO piano-case, and connected together by the end ties, s s, and one or more intermediate ties, s a, and the whole made in one piece, preferably of cast-iron, the spaces between the front and rcar bars being occupied by the flies and hammer'checl: rods, as shown in Fig 1.

Another novel feature of my invention is the manner in which the hammcr-butt G and flycarrying lever D are pivoted to the flange E, which is as follows: The flange E, instead of havinga hole or holes drilled through it to receive the fulcrum-pinsf and d, as is usual, has formed in one side thereof, and near one or both ends, a transverse groove, f, to receive said pin or pins, which are firmly secured therein by the screws (1, the heads of which bear hard upon said pins to clamp them in position.

A great advantage is obtained by this arrangement, inasmuch as when it is desired, for any purpose, to remove the han'nnerbutt G or lever I) the fulcrum-pinsf and (I do not have to be removed therefrom, but it is only necessary to slaeken the screw (1 to removeit, and to secure it again the butt or lever is placed in position with its fulcrum-pin resting in the groovef in the side of the flange,and the screw D is screwed up till its head bears hard upon the pin, as shown in Figs. at and 5.

\Vhat I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is

1. The metallic flange-rail F, composed of he bars 9' and e, the end tics, s s, and one or more intermediate ties, s s, all arranged substantially as and for the purposes described.

2. In combination with the rail I provided with the bars 0' and c, the flange E, secured to and projecting above and below the barr, the hammerbutt G, pivoted to the upper end of said flange, the lever D, pivoted to the lower end of said flange and provided with the slot d, thefly J, pivoted to the lever D and an ranged to engage with and lift the hammerbutt G, the jack 0, and the key A, all arranged and adapted to operate substantially as described.

3. The lever D, provided with the project ing i'elt pad 0, in combination with the jack 0, provided with the pin Z), extending above the upper end of said jack and through said Felt, substantially as described.

4. The combination of the flange E, the lever D, pivoted thereto, the damper-block H, pivoted to the lever D, and the spring at, all arranged and adapted to operate substantially as described.

5. The hammer'butt G, provided with the flexible projecting pad 11, in combination with the fly J, and the spring 0, all arranged and adapted to operate substantially as described.

6. The combination of the lever D, flange E, hammer-butt G, provided with the projec tion G the check L, and the springs Z and 0, substantially as described.

7. In combination with the damper-rod II, projecting above and below the fulcrum-block II and carrying at its upper end the damper H, the pedal-operated rocking rail I, constructed, arranged, and adapted to operate substantially as and for the purposes described.

8. The flange E, provided with one or more transverse grooves, f, and one or more clamping screws, (1, in combination with the fulcrum pin or pins of a pivoted part of the action, substantially as described.

In testimony whereofIh-ave signed my name to this specification, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses, on this 1st day of May, A. D. 1881-.

CHAS. E. ROGERS.

Witnesses:

N. O. LOMBARD, W ALTER E. LOMBARD. 

